Anytime of year is a good time of year for a Stephen King but this close to Halloween is a very heaven. In this book he revisits Wee Danny Torrence,who only narrowly survived a visit to The Overlook with his family.it all took place in The Shining, when much was revealed in what has proved to be a Tiger Tank of a novel over the decades since its publication. Danny continues to Shine nad in this book we learn of a wandering tribe, The True Knot, who feast on the energies generated by Shiners. Led by Rose The Hat, a depraved matriarch who feeds her followers with the agonies of the innocent. As if the burden of such a gift were not enough to bear.
Danny's life has not been easy and it has been touch by many of the same treaumas that shaped the life of his father. the poor boys DNA was in all likelihood hardwired that way and he finds himself an alchoholic trying to mend his ways while also coming to terms with an ability that allows him to ease the passage of those leaving this world. An ability that earns him the nick name Doctor Sleep.
in the years since I first read The Shining and the couple of times I have watched Stanley Kubrick's adaption of it I find the two variants of King's story have merged in my memory. In the book Doctor Sleep I found myself waiting for a return journey to the Overlook. Forgetting that in the book it is destroyed by the boiler exploding (As the janitor who was supposed to monitor it in order to prevent this happening had gone on a murderous rampage.). It remains standing in the movie version, for good or ill. There is a return journey, off sorts, when we once again mount The Roof O The World ( O The World, not Off The World.I did not mistype.) I am going to seek out the movie version of Doctor Sleep.I have to see how they handle Rose The Hat. Although you can have a preview of How I handled her. So to speak.
